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A Good Start in Macedonia: Working with Romani Communities

This project in Macedonia focuses on integrating Romani communities with a bottom-up approach, addressing challenges and strengths in different localities. Activities include home surveys, workshops for Romani children, and ID mediation. Despite challenges, significant successes include home surveys, workshops, children's inclusion in kindergartens, immunization activities, and more. Lessons learned emphasize parental involvement, tailor-made approaches, multidisciplinary team efforts, sustainability, and mutual respect for successful cooperation. Support from the European Union has been crucial for the project's achievements.

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A Good Start in Macedonia: Working with Romani Communities

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  1. A challenging ‘A Good Start’ in Macedonia - working with Romani communities - AMBRELA Centre for Integration,KHAM, NRC by Aida Mustafovska With support from the European Union

  2. CONTENT: AGS context Macedonia Localities Macedonian AGS activities Challenges / strenghts/weaknesses Results / outcomes Lessons learned With support from the European Union

  3. AGS CONTEXT MACEDONIA: • Unfavourable legislative background • Bottom-up approach • Differencies of needs & interventions between localities in Eastern-Macedonia and Skopje (capital) • Commitments of municipalities(political and financial) With support from the European Union

  4. With support from the European Union

  5. MACEDONIAN AGS ACTIVITIES in general: • Home surveys, Home visits • Awareness raising workshopsRomani children inclusion into local kindergartens • Tailor-made approach (team – learning specialists) • IDs mediation, immunization activities(Suto Orizari) • ISSA Trainings (mediators / teachers) With support from the European Union

  6. CHALLENGES – STRENGHTS/ WEAKNESSES: Parents: motivation for participation can be difficult Institutions: time-consuming procedures (IDs) / dependency on political parties’ free will / ad-hoc actions Other: time-energy consuming project administration procedures / extreme working conditions / finding staff-volunteers for a low compensation vs. ensuring quality Strengths: - Professionalism / devotion / commitment local NGOs - Tailor-made approach (community needs) Weaknesses: - Lack of NGO involvement in overall project design - Lack of adequate working conditions With support from the European Union

  7. DESPITE CHALLENGES, WE SUCCEEDED IN: • Home survey - 442 Surveys • Home visits – 2815 visits • Awareness raising workshops (immunization, preschool education) – 77 workshops, parents reached 1665 • Romani children inclusion into local kindergartens – 152 children (Clothing kits / school material) • Immunization activities– more than 1000 children vaccinated • Kindergarten renovated • Trainings – 22 teachers, 13 mediators • IDs mediation – extremely relevant, a precondition for overall integration - 351 persons received IDs – (Suto Orizari, 192 children (born at home / hospitals) and 159 parents) - 21 persons in procedure – (home-born children) With support from the European Union

  8. RESULTS / OUTCOMES: Institutions-relatedresults: • Teacher, teacherassistantwill be employedinVinica • FirsttimekindergartenwithgoodqualityequipmentinCrnik • Tailor-made approach & out-reach workbylearningspecialists (assessment, actionplan, portfolio’s) • Directinfluenceon policy makingviacooperationwith Ministries (Interior, Labour and Social Policy, Education) Children-relatedresults: • Daily customscreated • Macedonianlanguageskillsimproved • Social skillsimproved Parents-relatedresults: • Parentalskillsimproved • Awarenessraised With support from the European Union

  9. LESSONS LEARNED: • Parents’ involvement: invest in programs / activities that will motivate parents in active parenting / additionally improve parental skills • Tailor-made approach: invest in every child individually (attention for personal development) • Multidisciplinary mediators teams • Institutional services: introduce free-of-charge kindergarten participation for extra marginalized groups • Importance of sustainability • Respect: mutual respect necessary for future – good cooperation With support from the European Union

  10. Thank you for your attention! Special thanks to: European Commission DG Regio Roma Education Fund Bernard Van Leer Foundation LEGO Foundation UNDP/World Bank/Slovak Governance Institute/ISSA Esp. Macedonian NGO partners, stakeholders (Kindergarten, Vaccination Service S.O.,various Ministries) & Romani community from Macedonia With support from the European Union

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